Overload released clutch



March 4, 1952 A. Y. DODGE OVERLOAD RELEASED CLUTCH Filed Sept. 29, .1945

Patented Mar. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

OVERLOAD RELEASED CLUTCH Adlel Y. Dodge, Rockford, Ill. Application September 29, 1945, Serial No. 619,381.

4 Claims. 1 This invention relates to couplings and more particularly to couplings of the type that release .-in response to torque.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a coupling which will release in response to a predetermined torque in either direction. Another object is to provide a coupling which is released by a camming action produced by balls or the like in recesses which are so shaped as to provide different cam angles in different positions of the coupling parts.

Still another object is to provide a coupling which disengages in response to a combination ofspeed and torque.

A further object is to provide a coupling which will be held disengaged in response to speed. Ac-

..cording to one feature of the invention, the speed responsive means has a greater mechanical ad-- vantage over the engaging spring in the disengaged position of the parts than in their engaged position.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following description, when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is an axial section through a coupling showing the parts in engaged position;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the parts in disengaged position;

Figures 3 and 4 are views corresponding to Figures 1 and 2 respectively of another coupling construction;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 of still another coupling construction;

Figure 6 is a partial section illustrating an forms one of the coupling members and is grooved at its end slidably to connect to a series of clutch plates or discs 52 which are interleaved with similar plates or discs l3 splined to a supporting structure It. The discs are adapted to be pressed together by a pressure plate l4 splined to the support [4.

The disc [5 is connected to a ring 16 through a casing part ll. As shown, the casing part I? -turns inwardly over the pressure plate i5 and is connected thereto through a sliding joint pro-- vided, for example, by projections on the casing part I! extending into openings in the pressure plate l5. A housing l8 encloses the coupling parts and is connected to a flange l9 or hub member secured to the shaft II. 'A main spring 2! within the housing I8 engages the casing part H and through it urges the clutch discs into engagement and the ring [6 toward the flange I9.

The ring is is connected to the flange l9 to transmit torque therebetween andto urge the ring away from the flange in response to torque. As best seen in Figures 7 and 8, the flange and the ring are formed with registering recesses 22 having central portions with their sides diverging at a relatively acute angle as shown at 23 and end portions whose bottoms lie more'nearly par- -alle1 to the planes. of the ring and the flange.

The recesses are adapted to receive balls 25 which lie in the enlarged central portions of the recesses to engage the sharply angular sides23- when the ring is adjacent the flange.

Figure 1 illustrates the coupling with the parts in engaging position in which the balls 25 lie in the enlarged central portions of the recesses and the spring 2| presses the clutch discs together. In this position torque is transmitted from the shaft [0 through the clutch discs and pressure plate IE to the ring [6. The ring drives the flange l9 through the balls 25 to transmit torque to the shaft ll. When the torque reaches a predetermined value flxed by the strength of the spring 2| and the angle of the recess sides 23, the cam action of the balls against the recess sides will move the ring I 6 to the left-against the spring 2|. This relieves the pressureof the spring..2l on the clutch discs to disconnect the clutch and permit'the shafts to turn relative to each other.

When the balls act to separate the flange and ring in response to torque, they move into the end portions of the recesses as shown in Figure 8. At this time the balls engage the relatively flat bottoms 24 of the recesses 50 that their mechanical advantage over the spring is substantially increased and the spring will be held compressed in response to a relatively light torque, substanthe torque has been reduced to a value substantially lower than that required to disengage it.

To maintain a relatively light drag sufficient to hold the balls in the end portions of the recesses, a light secondary spring 26 is provided in the housing directly engaging the pressure plate IS. The spring 251s not affected by movement of the ring l6 so that it will maintain a light pressure on the clutch discs sufiicient to hold the balls in the end portions of the recesses.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate an alternative construction in which a shaft 21 is formed at its end with a series of outwardly projecting clutch teeth 28 adapted to engage internal teeth on a ring 29 which is movable axially relative to the shaft 21. The-ring 29 is connected through balls 3! to a flange 32 on a shaft 33. l The balls 3] cperate in recesses in the ring 29 and flange 32 similar to the recesses 22 described above.

The ring 29 is connected to a housing 34 which extends over the flange 32 and encloses a spring 35 engaging the flange to urge the ring and the flange together. When the ring and the flange are together, as shown in FigureS, torque will be transmitted from the shaft 21 through the clutch teeth 28 to the ring 29 and through the" balls3l to the flange 32 and shaft 33. When the torque reaches'a predetermined value, the-ballet! will cam'the ring 29 to the left, as shown in'Figur'e 4, to disconnect the shaft 2! and ring 29.

In order to hold the coupling in its disengaged position, the facing surfaces of the ring 29; and

the' flange 32' are tapered as indicated'at 36 to converge outwardly. The tapered surfaces are curved as shown so that they provide a greater angle at'their inner portions than at their outer portions. arranged between the surfaces 36 andtend to move outward in response to centrifugal force when the coupling is rotating.

' With the coupling in engaged position; the

balls'engage the sharply angular inner portions ofthe surfaces 36 so that they have a very low mechanical advantage over the spring35. 'Ifhe balls thelcby'exert a relatively small' axial "force tending to compress the spring and dis'en the coupling. When the coupling partsare engaged, as shown in Figure 4, the balls I outward to the nearly parallel outer portions of the surfaces 36 so that they have a high mechanical advantage over the spring.- Therefore; a relatively small centrifugal force on the balls will hold the spring compressed so that t'he coupling parts can run with no drag. It will bej understood' that by properly proportioning the weight of the balls and the angles of the cam' surfaces, theeffect of speed on the engagement and disengagement of the coupling can beVaried' 'aS desired.

Figure 5 illustrates still"another constr'uction in which a shaft 4| has secured to its inner 'end a sinuous clutch plate 42 and a car'rr'ring '43. The plate 42 is adapted to engage 'aninter rnediate sinuous plate M and'an outer sinuous plate '45 connected to a cam ring or disc 46. Theplate 44 is connected to a housing 4'! enclosing a.

spring 48 which engages the ring 16 to urge the rings together and the clutch parts into engage- V ment.

sinuous formationwhich provides a camming action to move-the ring d6 to the right against At "this time the shat't 41' canthe' spring 48.

Weights in the form of balls .fl are rotate relative to the ring 46 so that no torque will be transmitted to the shaft 52.

To hold the clutch parts in disengaged position, the rings 43 and 46 are formed adjacent their periphery with annular cam surfaces providing a relatively wid cam angle at their inner portions and relatively flat angles at their outer portions. Balls 53 operate between the cam surfaces and are held properly spaced to rotate there between bya cage 54. With the'clutch parts engaged, the balls engage the relatively wide angle cam surfaces so that they have a small mechanical advantage and a relatively small effect on-th'e' spring 48. When the clutch parts are disengaged, however, the balls ride against the relatively flat outer cam portions so that they havea high mechanical advantage over the spring and will hold the coupling parts disengaged in response to a relatively low speed. Therefore,

\ the coupling parts can over run with a minimum of drag and wear.

Instead of using single balls, as shown in Fig;- ures 3, 4 and 5, weights maybe employed 'ofthe type illustrated in Figure 6. In this construction weight segments 55'are arranged in annular array between the cam discs 56 and 51 which are shaped to provide cam surfaces lying at different angles. The weights are urged together by a coil'spring 58 and are transversely bored to receive balls '59 which engage the cam surfaces. With this construction the balls 59"will roll against, the cam surfaces and against each other to reduce friction and sliding to a minimum,'thereby increasing the accuracy of the response to centrifugal force. Furthermore, with this construction the weights 55 canbe made as heavy as desired so thatthe effect of speed'on operation of the coupling can be readily controlled.

While several embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that these are illustrative only and are not to be taken as a definitionof the scope of the invention, reference being had for this 'purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A coupling comprising coaxial coupling members, a pair of elements formed with annular cam surfaces, one'ofsaid elements being connected to one of the members and the other being movable axially relative thereto, means to connect the other of said elements to the other member, means to'connect the elements and to urge them apart in response to torque, one of the connecting means forming a clutch controlled by said elements to be disengaged when they are apart, a spring urging the elements together, and centrifugally responsive weights between the cam surfaces, the cam surfaces having inner portions lying at a relatively wide angle engaging the weights when the elements are together and outer portions lying ata smaller angle to engagethe weights when the elements are apart.

2. A coupling comprisinga pair of coaxial cou pling members, a flange on one of the members, a ring movable axially relative to the flange, means to connect the ring to the other member, means to connect the ring and the'flange and to urge them apart in response to torque, one of the con- .ecting means-forming a clutch whichis disengaged when the ring and flange are apart, a spring urgin the ring and flange togetheig'the facing surfaces" of the ring and'flange converging outward at a more rapid rate at their'inner than at their outer portions, and centrifugal weights'between saidsur-faces'." v

3. A coupling comprising a pair of coaxial coupling members, a flange on one of the members, a ring movable axially relative to the flange, cooperating clutch parts connected to the ring and the other member to connect them when the ring is adjacent the flange and to disconnect them when the ring is spaced from the flange, a spring urging the ring toward the flange, the ring and flange being formed in their adjacent faces with registering recesses, balls in the recesses to connect the ring and flange and to urge them apart in response to torque, the facing surfaces of the ring and flange converging outward at a greater, angle at their inner portions than at their outer portions, and centrifugal weights between the ring and. flange engaging said surfaces.

4. A coupling comprising a pair of coaxial coupling members, a flange on one of the members, a ring movable axially relative to the flange, means slidably connecting the ring to the other member, cooperating clutch parts on the ring and the flange to connect them and to urge them apart in response to torque, a spring urging the ring and the flange together, the facing surfaces of the REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,585,140 Erban May 18, 1926 1,711,520 Decker May 7, 1929 1,739,947 Chilton Dec. 17, 1929 1,883,164 Vassakos Oct; 18, 1932 1,909,366 Koza May 16, 1933 2,002,699 Larsen May 28, 1935 2,079,678 Chilton May 11, 1937 2,160,150 Jimerson' et a1 May 30, 1939 2,209,155 Fagg July 23, 1940 2,366,841 Dodge Jan. 9, 1945 2,368,299 Hayter Jan. 30, 1945 2,373,666

Emery Apr. 17, 1945 

